High-pressure lubricating unit



Jan. 11, 1949. l.. s. WILLIAMS 2,459,010

HIGH-PRESSURE LUBRICATING UNIT Filed Dee. 18, 1944 lwentor LOUIS B. WILLIAMS l Gttorneg I Patented Jan. 11, 1949 Hit-intresses@ Lueicserie MYI invention rslaisi 'tOiluhl'santf dissensi. l apparatus; and more particularlytov apparatus Awhereby; thel lubricantrv dispensedv under prPSul4 i u Y Although A,the apparatusA of myy invention may L bey satisfactorily employed'- in various feldsland industries, it is pf particulanutili'tyior lubricating automotive vehieles. InV these vehicles, thefzvarif-41S @arts -thereQi-ere vdiflvulc t-i9-rtea;h.,wth;e lubricritrid fqurevaryingtkinds lubricants and modes 0f applying them.,` @Qms Parts-rientri ins SO-al'le'd fhevvlubric,@mitwhich4 are treff 9131015. pped. NBQLPICSSUI@ and Qi'fhel 'Parts necessitating the use 0f; lighter11.lbfisiints` Y t Itis an object- Qf my inventiontolprovige -lu- Mimet-dissensi@ machines-which .wiltrwheri Operated." @llolliffally dispensehlblfaem'lmf pressure through a. hose having al noyzzleiinsertable into rthe automotive part requiringlubfatol x .L It is also an'- object of theinvention .to'proyide aliiricar'itdis/remue appar-atusliucludine a a S-z psnsingiank-ini whichthe di' @naine-rtl4. mit B efautomatically. eplenished Witnflubricantvwheri.

lubricant is' not beinga dispensed -r from*A the apparatus, o u t Vitis yalso `arrolojecft of the invier'itiorrtogpQZide a I lubricating apparatus includinga disperising;` tankl for the llibriant, whih;tankfwi11fbeSube of 'the Yalzyparatus when a dispensing lvalvefatrthe" end of the dispensing hose is opened-,- and@whichl tank will be automatically,relievedd of saidpres-s sure and connected to the replenishingtanlgifor replenishment, when said 'dispensingf.va1ve-ist bis @further Qliistof the-invention@ vide', inlanapparatus of this kind, a valvefwn-icv in,v one position, lwill be connected Mto `a source voff' @mpresed' mixto; apply. pressure; tot the: disfA pensing tank*` bythe opening of saidfhfose valveand v tl'iereby eieotuatedispensing oi:nthe flu-brie cant through said hose valve, and;-which',:in-its other position, will automatically{eiectuate re""v e 2" (omge- 373) it a 'stiijfurftnr' object of the 'invention to provide,L ntheow j-connection between the re plenishingtanky-and the dispensing tank; a valve memberfvvhich willy be responsive respectively,l to low air pressure and tophigh air pressure: in `the dispensing `tj.;fJr 1 -l,to thereby respectively openand close diow connection betweenthe tWo tanks. 10 :object o fmthe` invention isto proappa-ratushvvhich will have rele' y high Capacity; @www lubricants Such xample, yet will, due to the fore- Tfe otlieobiects;advantages and accomplishmentsn of I the inventionqwill become self -evident as 'thk'i'sd'lsclosure proceeds. t

rtlyf4 preferred embodiment of the wn s illustrate'd1'v forv purposes of exem-l tiier'ilonlyQ, in the "taf'zcorripanyi'ng` drawinss anni ascribed hereinafter in'eonjunction`therewith, it'b i undestoodmthat thefinventive cori'-4 muted;in'tlieir'embodimenti orilymby accompanying ciaims'.'

e 4 or "less diagrammatic' "vievv i fof.

y pp'aratus'f showing some parts ntl s4 'ovvingfother partsfin elev'atioh,I and' mvngfpartsin one set of "positions g" substantially central, longitudinal jdetailediyertic its detailedrfconstruction needfnotlbe described;l

u Thesquantityrofi lubrsant5 rin Stank 12 I1 'i's-not maintained; absolutely constant: but is' adapted; byemeans off'a'i spout:br'tlieili-lieiI-(notisliowiiyto be iilled from time'itoit nier-Wit lit-rfnet'essai'sftl iamountmmubricamfanarts@ .taule-1 ninas-avait 2Ia leading to atmosphere. Tank 22, however, piston II takes up the position shown in Fig. l, is adapted to be automatically replenished with the compressed air enters cylinder I through lubricant, between dispensings from nozzle 23, opening 8. The valve I4 remains closed until and hence, on the average, the quantity of lubrilubricant reaches it from tank 22, and opening 'I cant in tank 22 remains substantially constant. .-3 is obstructed by the skirt of the piston II. The

The member 4B is essentially a piston type compressed air hence passes into body I, around valve and includes a hollow, elongated'vbodysl, theannulargroove Il and out of the opening 9. preferably cylindrical in shape and closedateach 'From opening 9, vthe air is forced downwardly end. The right-hand end, as shown in Fig. l, through conduit 24. is closed by a threaded cap 3, adapted to engage* lv l The lower portion of conduit 24 is angled upcorresponding threads on the interior of the body 4 wardly, as best Yseen in Fig. 3, and extends into I. The cap 3 has an outlet opening 4 into which proximity with the inside face of cup valve 25. is tted a dispensing hose. 2'Iat the far end-of I-'-'l[hus, the airv emerging from pipe 24 forces the which is the actual dispensing valve 23.4"' Th'A upper, outerface vof cup valve 25 into huid-tight other end of the hollow cylinder is also closed'byjx4 .(gcontactfwth' opening 30. This compressed air a cap member 5, similarly threadedly attached" lhence is prevented from entering tank 2I and to the body I, and having an opening `Ii` to which ,.f.-. therefore exertsitsfull force upon the upper suris attached a hose o1' tting 6'. face of the lubricant body in tank 22. As a con- In the body l, near one end of the upper sidel sequence, lubricant is forced downwardly out of thereof, there is formed an opening 1, and near zo the valve arrangement 50, I, in the bottom of the center of the upper side of the cylinder is tank'22,` into conduit 25, and upwardly therein formed another opening 8. The lower wall offthe into `the opening I0 in chamber 2. The spring body is provided with an aperture 9, near its cen `I51be`ing in proper adjustment, the rising lubriter, and the right hand end of the lower wall br" l cant will unseat the ball valve I3 and force its the body I is provided with an opening I0.' )The 25 way out the dispensing hose 27, through the valve aperture i8 is provided with an externallyand, 23, and to the particular spot to be lubricated internally threaded fitting I2. j "j on the adjacent automobile or other vehicle.

A reciprocatable piston II is fitted into the When the valve 23-is in the closed position, bore ofthe body I, and is provided at one end however, ahydaulic lock is formed in the chamber with a. head it and at the othea'with a 'skirt' le', 30 2 of cylinder l. as 'shown in'Fis. 2. forcing piston The piston I I is adapted totake up various posit I I'leftwar'dly into the position shown in Fig. 2. In tions in the cylinder under the'inuenceoflubrithis Aposition the piston I I closes off the opening Vcant pressure in chamber 2 and against the re- Band opens the outletv 7 t0 the Outlet 9 through action of a uelicallycoiled spring I9 seated at the annular groove Il. Hence, the charge of air one end against the piston and at the other 3` previously Supplied t0. and Still Contained in. against a seat in the Cap 5, l j Chamber 22, after fOlCillg the desired quantity of A one-Way Valve, here Shown as including a, lubricant Olli) 0f Valve 23, S plOVlded With an 11pphere Ill, resting in a seatv I3 inthe cap I2 in Ward ESCaDeDath; nto'tank 2l. In order to esthe aperture lil, is provided near the right hand tabsh this flOW Of ail'. the Valve 25, no longer end. or dispensing end of the cylinderand is llbjeted t0 PIQSSU-Ie from pipe 24, drops to rest held on the seat, in a, no1-many closedv'posti'o onfvthfiiange 3I. The air in the top of cylinder 22 by means of the helicauy coiled spring i5; i then'onters thepipe 24 through the apertures 50 .The piston s is provided near' its `Skirt- Wim provided inthe side walls of the Valve 25. This an annular groove Il extendingentirly around aT'nUW backtraCkS/UPWI'IY through Pipe 24, its periphery Theopenng 8 is provdedw't'h an 4i through opening 9, around the peripheral groove inlet suing for the admission oral-r uriuefpres- 7' O ut 0f tholening 'L through the Conduit 28 sure from an air compressor 60 and the annular and'mto the top of the Supply tank 2|' This al groove is adapted to register in Vone of its posi- Tangente?? prqylqes means for preventing any mons with the openings and with the opening- K9 lubricant-1n the'air valve from being spewed out into the atmosphere. The supply tank has a vent leading tc` atmosphere, and not requiring the presence vof air therein, most of this used air vents ultimately to atmosphere.

A hose or 'tting 6', connected to the conduit 28 where it 4leads downwardly into the supply tank, is adapted to drain a chamber 20 in body I of any lubricant or air that has managed to bypass piston inthe'oody. y.

Aconduit 24 is attached by its upperendin the opening 9 and its lower end terminates within the pressure cylinder 22. A conduit 28 1s fitted to theopening VTI and leads therefromtothe upper part of the supply tank 2I. Withlthe piston occupying the position shown ,in Figo., entrano? to the pipe 28@ blocked by the skirt G'' I I, to thereby vprevent the formation of a hydrauof the @15mn A Condmt 29 leadmg 'from the Sup* lic lock in chamber 26.' It conducts this mixture p15 tank 2e t0 the pressure tank 2z has an en" 60 into the supply tank 2| and thereby also serves to t1 am@ Opemng 39' adapted* t0' be' closedffby* t aid in maintainingthe total amount of lubricant Valve member 25 mounted around the upper end in thesystem at a substantially constant value. of pipe 24, in one position of the-valve i -ln'the' r As'snown in Fig. 3, when the valve 25 is in its other position of the -valve y25,'it yis seatable on ai lowermost, position, resting on flange 3I, the openflange 3I on the pipe 24. f v ing 30 from the supply tank is unobstructed, and The lubricant in tank 22 is maintained' ata hence,`.until `uplifting air pressure is put upon level just below the bottom of valve 25;' The valve 25 again; tank 22 will receive make-up lulower portion of the tank 22 4is provided with an bricant from tank 2|. outlet 2B. The outlet 26 :is surroundedl by ofY ffdesired, the entire unit may be mounted upon float Valve housing' 50. In this housing 5Il'fiSl 70 a 'small-base; or be suspended from wall brackets mounted a oat valve 5I, adapted to -close-the in any convenient location in a lling station or opening 28', on occasion. The conduit '26 leads the1like,the device'being shown herein diagramupwardly into the opening l0, and this connects matically without such adjuncts merely to present with the chamber 2 of body I. f one of 'the presently preferred embodiments of In use, when the valve 23 is opened and the 75' thein'ventive principles. Other renements and ramifications of the illustrated embodiment are contemplated as being within the present inventive concepts, and all lie within the scope of the following claims.

Moreover, in addition to the illustrative embodiment herein set forth, the invention contemplates the provision of many other embodiments of a somewhat different construction, but nonetheless embodying the present inventive principles.

What I claim as new, and of my invention, is:

l. In a compressed air type lubricant dispensing apparatus of the character described: a valve unit including a substantially hollow cylinder, substantially closed at each end; a piston movable therein into two operative positions; a spring linterposed between one end of the piston and the adjacent end of the cylinder to hold said piston in one of said positions; said cylinderhaving an aperture for the inlet of compressed air and having compressed air outlet apertures on opposite sides of the cylinder for transmitting compressed air successively in two directions; an inlet in the cylinder for the admission of lubricant to be dispensed under pressure and to hold said piston in the other of said positions, the piston having an annular groove for connecting the compressed air inlet aperture With the compressed air outlet aperture in the spring biased position of the piston, and adapted to connect the compressed air outlet aperture on the one side of the cylinder with the compressed air outlet on the opposite side of the cylinder in the lubricant biased position of the piston; and an outlet in one end of the cylinder for the discharge of lubricant under pressure when said piston is in the spring biased position in said cylinder.

2. In an apparatus for dispensing lubricant therefrom under the influence of compressed air: .a high pressure chamber for lubricant to be dispensed; a valve, including a casing and a piston movable in said casing, said piston having a head, a skirt, and an annular groove intermediate the head and the skirt and said casing having a lubricant dispensing aperture therein at `one end, an aperture on the upper side for the admission of compressed air, another aperture on the same side for the exhaust of used air, an aperture on the opposite side for both the passage outward therethrough of dispensing eifectuating air and the entrance inwardly of used air, and an aperture on the last mentioned side adjacent the lubricant dispensing aperture for thev admission of lubricant to be dispensed; a conduit connecting the forth mentioned aperture with'the high pressure chamber; a conduit connecting said high pressure chamber with the lubricant admission aperture of the casing; a one-Way valve for controlling said lubricant admission aperture to provide a hydraulic lock when air` pressure is relieved in the high pressure chamber; the apertures for the ow of air being so arranged that when said piston is in one position the annular groove connects the compressed air admission aperture with the forth mentioned aperture while the skirt simultaneously obstructs the used air exhaust aperture to thereby prevent short circuiting of the compressed air through the second mentioned aperture and when said piston is in another position in said casing the annular groove connects said forth mentioned aperture with the aperture for the exhaust of used air with the head of the piston simultaneously obstructing the `compressed air inlet aperture; and yielding means for moving said piston into the first mentioned position.

LOUIS B. WILLIAMS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Y 

